The story of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ on Good Friday is well known. The widespread nature of the manner of His death is not often talked about. Crucifixion is an ancient method of execution, in which the condemned prisoner was tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang there until dead. Crucifixion is perhaps the death penalty at its worst.
Retribution, Warning and Deterrent
Crucifixion served several of the ends of criminal punishment. Crucifixion was society’s retribution for the crimes of its victim. It was publicly conducted to serve as a warning and deterrent for those who might consider disobeying the law. It was exceptionally brutal and humiliating. Mel Gibson’s controversial film The Passion of the Christ is said to represent vividly the cruel nature of crucifixion.
From the Persians to the Romans
Accounts of crucifixions are recorded among ancient civilizations, most likely originating with the Persians. The original crucifixions were not on the cross traditionally associated with Jesus. The victim was tied or impaled upon a single upright stake. The victim's hands and feet were bound and nailed to the stake using just one nail through both wrists and one nail through both ankles, with a wooden plank fastened to the stake as a footrest.
From the Persians, crucifixions spread to the Assyrians, Scythians, Carthaginians, Germans, Celts and Britons. Execution by crucifixion became common under the rule of Greek King Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.). Eventually, crucifixion was adopted as the principal form of capital punishment by the Romans. During the Roman Empire, violent offenders, those guilty of high treason, despised enemies, deserters, slaves and foreigners were crucified.
Across the Roman Empire, crucifixion was inflicted upon rebellious slaves, subversive troops, wicked criminals, and traitors. Roman citizens, especially the upper class, were generally exempt from such a shameful death regardless of their crime (St. Paul, a Roman citizen, was beheaded). The explanation for this was that crucifixion was not just an execution, but a show of shame and disgrace.
The Legal Basis for Jesus’ Crucifixion
There is controversy over Jesus’ criminal action that justified crucifixion. Since He had talked of being a king, though not of this world, it would seem His crime against Rome was treason. The Roman legal system branded him a traitor. This was a capital offense with a penalty of crucifixion.
Cause of Death by Crucifixion
Death could come in hours or days, depending on the precise methods employed, the health of those crucified and environmental circumstances.
One theory is that death was typically caused by asphyxiation. With the whole body weight borne by the stretched arms, the victim’s ability to exhale was severely compromised. In order to breathe the victim would have to draw himself up by his arms, or have his feet supported by tying or by a wood block.
Roman executioners were said to break the victim's legs in order to hasten his death. This is consistent with the execution of the two thieves on either side of Christ. With their legs broken they could not support themselves for breath and died within a few minutes.
If death did not come from asphyxiation, it could result from a number of other causes, including physical shock, dehydration, and exhaustion.
Crucifixion in the Modern World
Though it is of ancient origin and is brutal in its application, crucifixion has survived to modern times in some parts of the world. German soldiers are said to have crucified a Canadian during World War I. In Japan it was used for prisoners during World War II. Crucifixion survives as a legal form of capital punishment to this day in Sudan and Iran.
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